Veerni Institute

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE VEERNI INSTITUTE

Our mission is to provide young women from the rural region of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan with a quality secondary education in a safe, supportive environment. We believe that by giving these women access to education, health and better career prospects we can empower them to become more independent and confident, thus enabling them to participate productively in their communities.

HOW IS THE VEERNI INSTITUTE UNIQUE?

Many programs address the need for primary school systems in rural communities.

Yet, without a secondary education, many girls are forced into arranged marriages before they reach 18 regardless of the fact under aged marriages of this sort have been illegal for many years.

By focusing on a quality secondary education, Veerni has been pivotal in helping girls to achieve university degrees and careers.

WHY THE VEERNI INSTITUTE IS NEEDED?

Many girls are deprived of education for the following reasons:

Their families need their help at home, immersing the girl in housework and chores.

Schools near villages are often inadequate in quality and transportation too costly for it to seem worthwhile.

By providing the girls with a hostel in Jodhpur:

Veerni’s students are given a chance to complete their secondary education without the interruptions of family life and the pressure of marriage.

Veerni’s students are provided extra support that helps them succeed in their academic and extracurricular curriculum.

LIFE AT THE INSTITUTE

All of the Veerni’s students live in the Veerni Institute during the academic year:

Veerni takes care of all meals and housing expenses.

The hostel encourages girls to focus on their education without the distractions of family life.

Wardens live with the girls and help them learn self-care.

The hostel environment encourages confidence and facilitates a community among the Veerni students.

THE VEERNI INSTITUTE’S GROWTH

The Veerni hostel began in 2005 with an enrollment of only 39 girls; parents were extremely resistant to sending their girls away for school.

After the first year, dozens of families contacted Veerni to see how they could get their girls enrolled.

Currently, 75 girls are enrolled in the hostel, but the demand is greater than the capacity.